My Hero Academia: Burning Bright/Chapter 2
Rise Above! ---- “That marks the end of class today, but before you all run off I’d like to talk to you all about something.” Aki looked up from her bag where she was placing her notebook inside, the rest of her class’s attention had been grabbed as well. Her homeroom teacher, Mrs. Shinikawa, faced the class. “There’s only two weeks of school remaining and I know many of you have applied to the schools that you wanted, and many of you with quirks have applied to U.A. High School.” Aki gripped her pen. I applied to U.A. She thought. What’s she going to say? “The acceptance rate to U.A. is incredibly low as I’m sure you all know. If you want to follow a hero course, then you need to have a backup plan. There’s nothing wrong with having big dreams, but it’s also good to have back ups in case those dreams fall through.” Aki stared at her desk, she had considered picking a back-up school, there were plenty with great hero programs but none of them were U.A. I doubt I’ll pass, but somehow I can’t see myself failing. She kept her hopes quiet, as she didn’t have many friends inside the school. I’ll fight as hard as I possibly can to get into U.A. No matter what it takes. “That’s all I have to say on the subject.” Mrs. Shinikawa said, waving her hand. “Enjoy your weekend, and please don’t let the fact that you only have two weeks of middle school hinder your studies. Finals start on Monday and you won’t be going to any hero courses if you fail.” Aki and her classmates stood up from their desks and made their way out of the classroom quickly. Aki shifted her back over her shoulder and walked slowly behind her classmates. “Like I would pick another hero course.” Aki overheard one of her classmates speaking. “I’m going to get into U.A. no problem!” Aki took a deep breath, she wasn’t the only one from this school trying to get into U.A. Many of her peers would be trying just as hard as her, she had to find a way to stand out. I have to do this. “Aki, may I speak to you for a moment.” Aki stopped as she walked out of the room, she looked over her shoulder at Mrs. Shinikawa. “You’re not in trouble, I promise.” “Y-yeah,” Aki turned around and waited until the rest of the class was out of the room. “What’s up?” “Go ahead and have a seat.” Aki set her bag back down and sat down at her desk. “I’ve noticed how hard you’ve been working, Aki.” She said. “I’ve known you since you got to Itsumo and I’ve seen how hard you’ve always worked. You’ve had a long, hard past to overcome and you’ve come so far. I also know you want to go to U.A.” Aki didn’t say anything, she feared that her teacher would shoot her down. “You have the smarts and you certainly have the passion that would get you into the academy. Your skills with your Quirk have improved over the years, but I fear that you still may be missing something.” “What is it?” Aki questioned, suddenly on edge. “Your confidence, Aki.” She said sadly. “You question yourself and the choices you make. You’ve only done minor sparring with your Quirk and you’ve never been in a dire stakes position before, not counting the moment when you were young.” Aki clenched her right fist, a burn from so long ago that had healed but left the bottom of her hand permanently scarred. “I know I haven’t faced anything like this before,” Aki said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try. I know I’m not very strong, or brave, but I will pass this exam. I’ll learn how to be better, I know I will.” Mrs. Shinikawa smiled but let out a small sigh. “I know you will try your best, and I believe you have what it takes as long as you work your hardest, but the entrance exam is only the beginning of a very long high school career. You’ll have to constantly be working harder to reach your goal, that’s what U.A. does, they work their students very hard.” “So I’ve heard.” Aki said quietly. “But that’s how it has to be, I want to be tested. I want to succeed.” Her teacher nodded and smiled. “That’s all I wanted to talk to you about, Aki. “She rested a hand on her shoulder. “I believe in you Aki, I’ve always been rooting for you.” Aki smiled and stood up. “Thank you, Mrs. Shinikawa.” She hugged her homeroom teacher and quickly ran out of the room. “I won’t let you down!” She ran out of the room and felt excitement surging in her heart. I can do this. I have to do this! Aki opened the door to her room, stepping inside. Within the room, her roommate had already returned and was sitting on her bed making notes and studying. “Hi, Aki.” She lifted her head and smiled. Her roommate was essentially her only friend. Her name was Sakura Kurosawa and she had short pink hair with chocolate brown eyes. She was very kind, the two of them had been roommates since Aki arrived at Itsumo Academy, Itsumo Academy was a special building that worked as both a foster home for orphans or kids up for adoption and a school for all grades. Aki did all of her schooling in this place, and though some students continue to live on location while in High School, if Aki was accepted into U.A. she would get a new home, she would live on campus and start a whole new life. "Hi, Sakura.” Aki said, sitting down on her own bed, the conversation she had with her teacher still fresh in her mind. She said that she believed in me, but I still sensed doubt. Aki stared at her hands. I have to prove to everyone, myself included, that I can do this. “How goes the studying?” She forced herself to focus on something else. “Oh it’s going.” Sakura said with a smile. “It shouldn’t be too hard, plus I have to study for my future entrance exam too.” “Which school are you going to?” Aki questioned. “You’re not joining a hero course right?” Sakura shook her head. “No, being a hero isn’t for me. My Quirk allows me to feel the pain of others, I won’t be able to fight crime but I can follow my dream of becoming a doctor or nurse.” “I would call those heroes.” Aki pointed out, they had this conversation before but Aki always admired Sakura’s views. “Doctors, nurses, surgeons, they’re all heroes.” “I know.” Sakura smiled. “A different kind of hero though, the kind of hero that I want to be.” Aki laid down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She knew she had to study, but the thoughts and fears of applying for U.A. raced through her mind. She had struggled so much throughout her life, even after leaving that terrible house. She had to learn how to control her Quirk and how to overcome the stress and trauma she had felt while living there. Countless times she doubted her own skill, her own ability to become a hero. Her fear and terror that crippled her sometimes, how could someone like her become a hero? Someone so small and weak and skittish. She had been called a hero for what she had done when she was a child, but it didn’t feel like it. She knew she had hurt someone, and her Quirk had been too much for her to handle and she hurt herself. There was one day however, a terrible night that had changed Aki’s views. It was during there summer vacation, the Academy dorms had a public gathering area full of games, books and a big television. Its where people came to hang out and have fun. Aki had been sitting on a chair by herself, reading a comic book when a news broadcast interrupted the television. She had heard about the incident at the U.A. Summer Training Camp, the notorious League of Villains had attacked and left several students injured and one missing, along with a pro-hero by the name of Ragdoll. Aki set her comic down and watched as several pro-heroes launched an attack on the League to get the student back. She saw several heroes like All Might, Endeavor, Kamui Woods, Best Jeanist and Mt. Lady along with others. Everything went wrong, and Aki and her peers could only watch in horror as All Might faced off against a terrifying villain named All For One. The fight was brutal as they watched All Might turn into something so weak and frail. Aki and the ones around her called and yelled out to All Might even though he couldn’t hear them. Despite all odds, All Might came out on top and defeated the terrible villain. The whole building erupted in cheers as All Might saved countless people. All Might’s victory wasn’t as big as everyone thought, however, as All Might was left Quirkless and forced to retire with Endeavor taking the lead as Japan’s Number One hero. Aki couldn’t sleep that night, she laid in her bed and thought about the fight. She thought of herself as weak and frail, just as All Might had been in that moment and yet he was able to come out on top. That night, Aki realized that it didn’t matter how big or strong she was, if she worked hard and put her all into it, she could be a hero too. From that night forward, Aki worked even harder to prepare for the entrance exam to U.A. High School, and now that it was only two weeks away she felt like she was ready, she felt like this was her chance and she wasn’t going to fail.